


Here Comes Treble

by stardustandfantasies



Series: Ad Libitum (College Orchestra AU) [1]
Category: Padz and Friends (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Orchestra, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-09-22 02:51:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17051669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stardustandfantasies/pseuds/stardustandfantasies
Summary: "Staring at an empty space isn't going to make Haris miraculously appear, you know.""Of course no— wait, what."(Or, In Which the Orchestra Conspired to Get Two Idiots Together.)





	Here Comes Treble

**Author's Note:**

> Written in September - October 2015. Miko and Hasan weren't even canon characters back then.

"But we need something popular to attract people to our concert!" Daniel argued, visibly on the brink of desperation.

The orchestra’s upcoming concert coincided with Halloween, and so Daniel proposed that they play “spooky tunes”. However, most of his suggestions for the concert repertoire had thus far been rejected by the chairman, on the basis of them being “too pop”. When it came to musical taste, Ganes was an unapologetic elitist.

"They're not classical."

“Ganes, nobody’s going to watch if it’s all classical. Classical equals stuffy to these uncultured swines. Which sucks big time, but we need their money.”

"I doubt that most people haven’t heard _In the Hall of the Mountain King_ and _Danse Macabre_ at least once in their existence."

"Yes, Ganes, but they're the type of pieces that people might have heard from the radio or TV or movies without knowing the title. We need something familiar to attract people!"

“No.”

Daniel was desperate now. "Just because you're the chairman, doesn't mean you have a right to veto a decision!"

"No, but you all need my signature to submit the proposal, and I'm not giving it," Ganes said with a finality in his tone.

"Despot! Dictator! Tyrant!"

"Here we go again," Dania rolled her eyes, while Gama heaved a long-suffering sigh.

Galih, still engrossed in a heavy hangover, mumbled something indecipherable. Miko was scrolling his phone, occasionally sniggering—probably silently judging the stupidity of Indonesian netizens, his favourite pastime. At the other side of the table, Gita and Nana were fangirling over BTS, and Darien was on Instagram, binge-watching videos of cute animals doing stupid things.

For the rest of the executive committee members, it was just another day in a typical exco meeting. Ganes and Daniel would always argue. Hasan, who hated any argument he wasn't a part of (but now was, thankfully, absent in this meeting due to a last minute make-up class) would add fuel to the debate. The rest would watch them fighting until someone (mostly Dania, once she stopped deriving cold amusement from their argument, or Naharis, when he had run out of patience, but sometimes he would join the argument too) would tell everyone to shut up and force the team to come to a decision.

Today was different. Not only because Hasan was not here. Naharis was, uncharacteristically, also absent from the meeting. He said he was ill. But Haris didn't fall sick easily. Bram wondered if he should pay Haris a visit to check on his friend. The last time Haris was sick,he finished an exam with a 38°C fever, and still—

"Staring at an empty space isn't going to make Haris miraculously appear, you know," Dania commented.

"Of course no— wait, what."

"Oh, nothing much." She rolled her eyes. "It's just that someone is so helplessly in love."

"I'm—"

"There's no point denying what is obvious." Nana nodded in agreement, suddenly joining them. Since when did she pay attention? Wasn’t she fangirling over Sugar or whatever that BTS guy was called?

"How—"

"Anyone can see that." Darien smiled, good-naturedly as always, but Bram couldn't help feeling annoyed—and how did he get into this as well?

"How can we not?" Gita giggled, so blatant in her relief that there's finally something more interesting than the meeting. "You're so obvious, and Haris is so oblivious."

"Guys," Ganes, always the straight man of the group, interjected. "We are not here to talk about Bram's love life—or more like a lack thereof."

For two seconds or so, there was silence. The room was quiet enough for them to hear the sound of Ganes' metaphorical arrow stabbing through poor Bram's forlorn heart.

Then Nana spoke up.

"How long do you all think it will take for those two to get together?"

"Oooh, is this a bet? I'm in!" Daniel almost literally jumped in his seat. "A month!"

Even Darien was skeptical. "Are you sure?"

"I think they're cute," supplied Daniel helpfully.

"What the hell," was all Bram could say.

Ganes knocked the table impatiently. "Guys, guys, we're—"

"It is far too optimistic, even for you, Daniel," Galih scoffed, suddenly and magically snapping out of his drunken stupor and thereby effectively shifting everyone's attention away from Ganes. "For these two, I'd say a _year_ , at least. That is if I'm being as optimistic as you. Realistically speaking, two years, or even two decades, may not even be enough."

"Wow, did I hear what I just heard?" Daniel blinked in disbelief. "That's the longest sentence you've ever uttered in your time in this orchestra, not counting your drunk rants."

"Yeah, and it will be better if you actually say something beneficial for—"

"Okay, so Daniel, a month, Galih, a year." Nana noted everything down on her tablet, interrupting (and completely ignoring) Ganes, being the responsible secretary she was. "Who else?"

"Half a year. If Bram's lucky and Haris suddenly gets a divine epiphany," Dania said dryly.

"Dania, that's harsh."

"I'm being realistic."

Gita raised her hand. "I actually think it's possible for them to get together in a month if we all help."

"Agreed!" Darien nodded vigorously. "Anyway, as the Welfare Representatives, ensuring that you and Haris can be happy is a part of our duty!" He and Gita high-fived each other.

"GUYS!!!" Ganes barked. Frustrated, he turned to his vice-president for help, a course of action he only took on the most desperate of occasions. "Gama, help me!"

Gama stood up and the room went silent. By virtue of his massive built, his suddenly standing straight and towering the rest did have an impact. He cleared his throat.

"Two weeks."

"WHAT?!"

"Are you crazy?"

"Gama, are you okay?"

"Someone's more optimistic than Daniel. This is a first."

"GAMA YOU TRAITOR!"

Casually ignoring the ensuing fracas and the scandalised expression on Ganes' face, Gama continued, "I have faith in them. Besides, we all will help you, Bram, won't we? You're not the only one tired of waiting."

A unanimous "YES!" and enthusiastic applause (from everyone except Galih who had resumed his characteristic drunkenness) resonated at the end of that mini-speech. Gama did a mock dignified bow before sitting down.

"I hate all of you," said Ganes, who had retreated into a facepalm. "Especially you, Gama."

"Do you need us to help matchmake you too, Ganes?" Nana offered generously.

"Go away," Ganes grumbled, his head still in an intimate union with his palms.

Bram, meanwhile, had not recovered from his shock.

What in the hell did he just get himself into?


End file.
